Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-09-02
PARIS NEWSPAPERS.
Their Circulation, Immense Annual Pront
and Great Influence.


and Great Influence.
1t is curious fact that daily news
papers almost suffice for the reading
appetite of the French public. Com
pared with that of the news sheets,
the circulation of the weekly, fort
nightly and monthly periodicals is very
small. France is not a great reading
country In round numbers the popu-
lation may be set down at 3S, 600, 600,
out of which about 5000, 900 only are
newspaper readers, if we may believe
the statisticians, whose conclusions are
based upon the total average circula-
ton of all the newspapers published in
France. If we reckon newspapers and
periodicals of all kinds and on all sub
jects published in France, whether
daily, weekly, or otherwise, we shall
find that Paris produces about 1900.
and the departments and colonies about
$500. If we analyze these numbers
we shall find forty daily political papers
in Paris, and about double that num-
Der of daily political papers published
in the great towns. like Bordeaux,
Marseilles, Lyons. Lille, Nantes, Havre.
In order to reach the figure of 200
daily papers published in France we
should be obliged to include very
small sheets whose calculation is less
than 1000 copies a day. Indeed. we
may say, with very little exaggera-
ton, that the greatest and almost the
only French newspaper worth speak
ing about is lie Petit Journal; for, sup
posing that we take its circulation,
varying between 900, 900 and $50, O0O
and supposing that each copy is read
by three OF four persons-which is a
low average-we may safely say that
this paper is read by half the reading
population of France. Next in circu-
lation to the Petit Journal come the
Petit Parisfen and La Lanterne, with
daily circulations exceeding 1920 900
copies. The largest provincial circu-
lations are those of the one-cent pa
pers, lie Petit Lyon,sdis and lie Petit
Marseillois, each about 20, a day
All these one-cent papers are
splendid enterprises; for in
stance, the annual profit o.
LIE Petit Partsien is in round mum
bers 800, 900, and the annual profit OF
lie Petit Journal, $500, 200. The papers
at two and three cents can not come
near these one-cent papers, either il
comparative profits or in circulation
LIE Figaro is the only three-cent pape
that can be quoted as fine enterprise
Even now, although its circulation i
10, 900 or Is, 600 less than it was tire
years ago, the annual profits of l.
Figaro amount to 100000. The q,
Bias, circulation 80, 600, is also a pay
ing concern. The most serious AM
1 well-informed of an the Fsench papers
t lie Temps. barely gives profit at all
: Among the two-cent papers, lie Mdttn
circulation 60, 600, is beginning to pa.
fairly. But with these exceptions
there is not much newspaper stock il
Paris worth coveting. How the variou
minor newspapers manage to live is
mystery, but mystery only to thos
who are unfamiliar with the fascina
ton which newspaper ownership pos
s sesses for the vain and for the am
g bilious, for financial spectators and pc
e ltical intriguers. To sum up once more
we may say that there are two leadfn
n papers in France. lie Petit Journal an
:, lie Figaro, the former appealing to til
l. great populace, the latter appealing
{, the middle and upper classes. Th
o publicity of lie Figaro is all powerful
l. it is speaking trumpet whose sounc
e re-echo through Europe-a fact whc
q enables the cynical triumvirate whic
p now presides over its destinies to Sc
m short puffs on the first page for $S
p line, and to charge publisher, for il
r, stance, 900 for a leading article |
20 Albert Wolff on a new book which
II may desire to push. The system ma
be reprehensible, but it helps to a
count for the profits of the paper; al
above all, from an advertising point
view, the money thus spent is well i
st vested, for the publicity of lie Ftgal
brings in a sure return. In all ma
!" tiers where criticism comes into pls
. the influence of lie Figaro is inca
10 culable The dramatic author who
10 piece receives favorable notice in Il
o Figaro need not pay heed to the +
; marks of the other Paris journals.
can only count upon Figaro and
'e Bias" says the novelist who brin
out a new volume, 81 don't care
10 continental for the rest" IN y Sl
)o Had Watched the Proceedings.